Compressed air operated pump



Dec. 27, 1938. R. w. BRYANT 2,141,427

COMPRESSED AIR OPERATED PUMP Filed Aug. 5, 1937 Patented Dec. Z7, 1938 UNITED STATE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pumping mechanism and particularly topumping mechanism operated by compressed air.

The general object of the invention is to pro vide a pumping mechanism which does not involve the use of pistons, packing or the ordinary pump valves, and which may be used for pumping water containing sand, gravel or sediment which would be likely to cut out piston cups and packing glands.

Another object is to provide a portable pump l capable of being operated by compressed air and particularly capable of being operated by the usual portable motor-driven air compressors 2 used for rock drills, tampers and other air operated tools used in road building or like work.

A further object is to provide a water receiver into which water is drawn by an injector operated by compressed air and provide means, when the water receiving tank is full, to automatically cause the compressed air to be directed into the tank itself and force the water out therefrom.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved pumping mechanism, the tank and the valve casing being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, Il) designates a Water receiving tank of any desired capacity. This tank is connected at its bottom to an elbow II which in turn is connected to the inlet and outlet valve casings I2 and I3. Within each of these valve casings there is disposed a check valve I4 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. From the valve casings I2 and I3 extend the nipples I5 which are formed and constructed so that they may be readily engaged with hose pipes or other lines whereby water may pass into the valve casing I2 and out of the valve casing I3.

Connected to the upper end of the tank I0 is an injector casing I6 having therein the injector nozzle Il. The injector casing is connected by a pipe I8 to a source of compressed air, this pipe J having therein a shut-01T valve, the casing of which is designated I9. The opposite end of the injector casing I6 is 'connected by a pipe 20 to a valve casing 2| having therein the upwardly eX- tending seat 22, this seat being open on its bottom. Extending downward from the pipe section 2| is a casing 23 and bolted to this casing is a cylindrical piston casing 24. Disposed within the casing 23 is a vertically movable cut-off valve 25 having a stem 26 which extends downward into the casing 24 and is provided with a piston 21. A

(Cl. 10S-235) spring 28 urges this piston downward. The lower end of the casing 24 is connected to an air 'chamber 29 in turn connected by a pipe 30 to the air inlet pipe- I8. The chamber 29 is provided with a cut-off valve 3| which, when raised, cuts oli the supply of air from the pipe 30 to the chamber 29. An exhaust port 32 is provided belowthe inlet of the pipe 30.

Mounted upon the wall of the tank l0 is a housing 33, as shown in Fig. 2, and extending through the wall of the housing is a pintle or trunnion 3ft carrying an arm 35 which has a pin and slot connection with the cut-off valve 3|, the slot in the cut-01T valve being designated 36. Disposed within the housing 33 and mounted upon the pintle or trunnion 3l! is an arm 3l which extends in'to the tank I0 and carries at its end the float or ball 38. Of course, the pintle or trunnion 34 extends through a packing gland 39 so as to prevent the: escape of air.

The cut-off valve, as will be seen from Fig. 1, is formed with a port d@ which, when the cut-off valve is fully lowered is in coincidence with the relief or exhaust port 32 and when the valve 3I is lifted to a predetermined height by the float 38, this port 40 will coincide with the port 4I into which the pipe3 opens.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows:

Assuming that the tank I El is empty, then com.- pressed air is forced through the pipe I8 and through the nozzle Il and out through the pipe 2B and the valve casing or chamber 2|, the valve 25 at this time being lowered. 'I'he injector action of the air passing through the nozzle I1 will cause air tol be drawn upward from the upper end of the tank and carried outward through the pipe 2l] and valve casing 2| and discharged. The partial vacuum thus created will act to draw water into the tank through the elbow I I and the valve casing I2, the valve It lifting to permit this inlet of water. When the water has risen within the tank toy a predetermined height, the ball oat 38, which has risen` with the water, will cause the arm 35 to shift the valve 3l from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a position where pipe 30 will be communicatively connected withl the lower end of the piston casing 2d. Compressed air, therefore, will be directed into the valve chamber 29 and against the underface of the piston 2l urging the piston upward against the action of the spring 28 andl closing the cut-01T valve 25 against the seat 22, thus preventing the further flow of air through the pipe 20. Inasmuch as the air is prevented from flowing through the pipe 20, it will now pass downward into the upper Y:ses

, in Fig. 1, it will pull the valve 3l downward so as to bring the port 40 into coincidence with the relief port 42 and cut off the passage of air through the pipe 3U. This will relieve pressure beneath the piston21 and the valve 25 will be opened and the compressed air will again pass out through the pipe 20, drawingV in a fresh charge of water into the tank Ill.

It will be seen that a pump of this character is extremely simple, that it may be readily operated by any ordinary air compressor such as commonly used by road working gangs -or builders, and' that the pumpY is particularly adapted for pumping water in which sand, gravel or silt is carried in suspension as there are no valves which the sand or silt would be likely to out outl or wear nor any reciprocating parts which would be likely to be scored by sand or gravel and no valve seats to. be worn away. The pumping mechanism may be made, of course, of any desired size for any conditions of work, and it may be made very portable so that it may be carried around from one job to another. ularly designed to take the place of the ordinary hand pump used for pumping water out of* ditches, holes or depressions in the ground and does away with the necessity of detailing a workman for the purpose of operating the pump, and

eliminates the necessity of using a motor operated pump provided with pistons, valves and other parts liable to be worn away by the sand or gravel in the water. Y

While I have illustrated a particular Vembodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto as obviously many changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed isc- Y 1. A pumping Ymechanism of the character described, including a liquid containing tank, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connected to the lower portion of the tank, check valves insaid pipes, a compressed air pipeline communicably connected to the upper end of the tank and adapted to be connected at one end to a source of com,- press-ed air, an injector nozzle disposed within said pipe line immediately above the connection to the tank, a valve seat formed in the discharge end of the air pipe, a casing extending downward from the valve seat, a cut-off gate valve disposed within said casing and adapted when raised to engage said seat, a piston carried by the cutoi valve, a spring urging the cut-oli valve to an open position, an air chamber communicating It is partieadapted when raised to connect the air inlet pipe with the interior of the chamber and when 10W- ered to connect the interior of the chamber with the relief port, said valve having a slotted shank,

a float disposed within the tank and having an arm pivoted at one end. the pivot of said arm carrying aV secondV arm having aV pin connection to the slot in the valve shank.

2. A pumping mechanism of thecharacter described, including a. liquid containing tank, an inlet pipe and anY outlet pipe connected to the lower portion of the tank, check valves opening in one directionV in said pipes, a compressed air pipe line extending in a straight lineabove the top of the tank and connected through the top of the tank to the interior thereof, said pipe line having anfinjector nozzle disposed immediately above the opening into the tank, aV valve seat formed in the outlet end of the pipe line and extending entirely thereacross, a cut-ott valve disposed at right angles to the compressed air pipe line and movable from a position on said seat and entirely across the compressed air pipe line to a position entirely withdrawn from the pipe line, said cut-oli valve having a piston, means. urging said piston in a direction to entirely withdraw the cut-off valve from the pipe line, and means controlled by the rise of water in the tank and rendered operative. whenthe water has reached a predetermined height constructed and arrangedV to cause the compress-ed air from said pipe line to operate on the piston to close said valve against its seat.

3. A pumping mechanisme-f the character described, including a liquid containing tank, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connected to the lower portion of the tank, check valves opening in one direction in .said pipes, a compressed air pipe line 'extendingin a straight line above the top of the tank and connected through the top of the tank to the interior thereof, said pipe line having an injector nozzle disposed immediately above the opening into the tank, a valve seat formed in the outlet Yend ofthe pipe line and extending entirely thereacross, a cut-oi valve dispos-ed at vright angles to the compressed air pipe line and movable from a position on said seat and entirely across the compressed air pipe line toV a position entirely withdrawn from the pipe line, saidfcut-of valve having a piston, a cylinder within which the piston is disposed, a Valve chamber in communication with the cylinder below the piston, the valve having a port communicatively connecting with the compressed air pipe line and having a vent port, a float movable vertically in the tank, a valve operating across said ports, means operatively conneeting the float to said valve to cause the closing of the compressed air port and the opening of the vent port when the iioat is fully lowered and the closing of the vent port and the opening of' the compressed air po-rt when the iioat has risen a predetermined amount, and means urging the valve to an open position.

RAYMOND W. BRYANT. 

